Nick Moore | Wednesday, 8 February 2023
Wheelbarrows are useful for transporting things, just like a few weeks ago when I brought everything but the kitchen sink to Paul’s! This seems to have stuck now, and it made me think about how much equipment I take on practice sessions.
So, what would the ‘essentials’ be? It depends on what you are practicing, and after seeing the prices of reel cases, I decided to cut down. Here is my essential casting practice list;
1. Orange and/or chartreuse egg yarn
2. Spare 9’ 1x tapered leader
3. Accuracy leader
5. Spare tippet
6. Line nippers
7. Reel with #5 MED line
8. Rod
9. Tape measure
10. Target Cones
All of this is quite easy to pack down into a small bag, so all you only need to carry two things. Amazing! Now, what do I usually take?
1. Orange and chartreuse egg yarn
2. Spare 9’ 1x tapered leader(s)
3. Accuracy leader
5. Spare tippet
6. Line nippers
7. Scissors
8. 3 Rods
9. 2 Tape measure
10. Target Cones
11. Screwdriver (for anchoring the tape measure)
12. Camera Tripod
13. GoPro
14. Chest mount for the GoPro (with battery pack)
15. Camera Equipment
16. Radio Mics
17. Wired Mics
18. 2 reel cases with a total of 6 lines
19. WC accuracy rings
Now that’s quite a lot of equipment! By the time I’ve set it all up it’s time to go home, but it is worth it as I like making short clips for YouTube. Once I’ve cut down, I think I will save money on petrol, as the car won’t be weighed down! My practice session is quite structured. I start out by setting everything up and go straight into accuracy, it is then followed by a tracking check up (by walking halfway down the tape and letting my back cast fall on the floor). The MED5 is used first and the first goal is to try and hit 100’ nicely, then I go for maximum distance. I spend more time with the MED5 than any other line, why? #5 lines really show up mistakes, and if you can cast this well, the others will fly. Then it’s onto the ballistic #5, #7’s and the ST27. After this I wind down with some speys and rolls on the water and pack everything up. If there’s a problem with the casting, then I concentrate on this in isolation by performing practice drills and work it back into the cast.
Tight lines!
Nick